


Oath Untaken

by Sylvas



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-02
Updated: 2015-10-02
Packaged: 2018-04-24 11:47:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4918342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylvas/pseuds/Sylvas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Nah."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The word surprised Graves, even as it came out of his mouth. What made him say that? Was it the cigar? He regarded it, without looking, without thinking. Tasted normal. Smelled normal. As much as anything out of Bilgewater could smell or taste normal, which he supposed was like salt and blood, if you were lucky. The embers bobbed in front of his face as he chewed on it, a bit thoughtfully.</p>
<p>"You refuse us?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oath Untaken

"Nah."

 

The word surprised Graves, even as it came out of his mouth. What made him say that? Was it the cigar? He regarded it, without looking, without thinking. Tasted normal. Smelled normal. As much as anything out of Bilgewater could smell or taste normal, which he supposed was like salt and blood, if you were lucky. The embers bobbed in front of his face as he chewed on it, a bit thoughtfully.

"You refuse us?"

The spirit seemed just as perplexed as he was. They adjusted their stance - hips shifting to one side and arms crossed, the spear that they'd once held evaporating into mist. Their eyes were narrowed... probably. They were just those glowing orbs that all undead things seemed to have. Graves didn't like 'em. Reading people wasn't really his thing, but at least he liked knowing when someone was looking at you. Was the spirit suspicious? Tired? Annoyed? Who the hell knew.

"Aren't you supposed to do some kind of voodoo to make you appear?" he grumbled. He leaned back a little more against the wall behind him, reclining almost; it was plain that the warrior didn't intend to threaten him, at least not yet, and if they changed their mind Destiny was right there next to him. He figured he could take a spear. He doubted the spirit could take a point-blank blast. "All sorts of rumors going around about that when you first popped up at the League. Say your target's name and stab yourself three times, or something."  
The intruder wrinkled their nose, which struck Graves as comical. "We are Vengeance. The method matters not. We seek out the betrayed, and destroy the betrayers."  
Graves snorted. "You mean to tell me business is so slow you're makin' cold calls?"  
"We do not understand you. That is irrelevant. You were betrayed. Do you not desire vengeance? Is that not why you are here?"

Graves worked his jaw, the cigar migrating from right to left, waving a bit of smoke in front of his vision as it went. He folded his arms as well, letting out a slow, disgruntled sigh. Yes, he had been betrayed, and yes, he was here for vengeance. To say he'd TRACKED Tobias would be a lie, but he'd been looking for a tip - and the instant he found one, he came running. Could be some kind of a setup or a trap, to say nothing of how dangerous the venue itself was, but that didn't really matter to him; not like they could take anything away from him that mattered, except Destiny, and good luck taking that. The chance to make that fool pay was worth a hell of a lot of risks - even breaking into Gangplank's personal storage warehouse.

"Yeah," he said shortly, after a long delay. Again, the spirit tensed, their hands clenching, white fingers smudged behind translucent knuckles.  
"But you refuse us."  
"Yup." He nodded slowly, eyebrows raising for a moment. "I don't much like solicitors. You can understand, tomorrow's a big day."

"We do not understand," they snarled, stepping forward once. "You are one of us. A soul bound to revenge, unerring, until you find the one that wronged you and make them pay. Are you not?!"  
"Listen," Graves growled, clenching his teeth, blowing a puff of cinder as his eyes flashed. "This is between me and Tobias. I don't need your Shadow Isles magic nonsense. I can deal with him on my own."  
"This is not how we see it," they countered, straightening again. They were tall, taller than Graves, which was no small feat. "You accept help from strangers to guide you. To point you to where you will find the condemned. We are no different. We do not ask to take the kill. We ask only to deliver you."  
"Deliver me where?" Graves huffed. "I'm already here."  
"It could be now. It will be foolproof. No pirate, no trickery, will impede us. You hinge on many assumptions to make your move tomorrow. We promise certainty."  
"So'd the guy who gave me the info I have so far, but he was at gunpoint, so I trust him more."  
"Trust? You trust HIM?" Graves couldn't help but be deeply amused at the spirit's outburst. "We are VENGEANCE INCARNATE, Malcolm! You know this!"  
"Yeah, yeah. I don't need anything incarnate. I need my beauty sleep for tomorrow night."

There was a tense pause. Graves wanted to stand up and brush this conversation off, but he couldn't exactly nudge Kalista, the Spear of Vengeance, out of his borrowed room. They'd have to leave on their own terms, and he was losing patience with their stubbornness quickly. "Their own terms" might start turning into "or else I will shoot you". If that even fazed them, really.  
"We do not understand," they said again, but this time, they sounded tired, Their fists unclenched, and they tossed their head. "If you change your mind seek us out. The Invocation is no longer necessary for ones with means such as yours."  
"What, I'll just walk up to you midgame and ask, 'hey, mind delivering me to Tobias?'"  
"Yes." Apparently, dry humor was lost upon the dead legion. "Until we meet again." All at once, the black mist faded, as Kalista turned and strode back into the rift they had come from.

He couldn't deny that he felt pretty satisfied to have turned the spirit away like that. There was honor in his journey; he saw it as a penance, maybe. Or maybe just a way to prove that he was above Tobias' treachery. Either way, that sense of honor meant that accepting help from Kalista was just... wrong. He didn't know what they'd meant by 'deliver', but it sure didn't sound necessary at this point; almost like they just wanted to piggyback on top of his victory once he got it. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad, actually. Let them feel special for the assist. He snorted, and shook his head - tossing his now-spent cigar out the window, and dragging Destiny to the bedside, where he sat.

But still, it surprised him - he hadn't thought about it at all. Just immediately said no. What would have led him to do that? Even now, laying here, he was considering that he'd made a mistake, that maybe he was just being stubborn, and that this was really worth his life. Especially since they seemed willing to go out of their way to deal with him; maybe they'd even let him go afterwards. Heh.  
It wasn't that he was having second thoughts? He scoffed at the idea, and remembered - remembered turning to look for his partner, remembered that feeling of reluctance and dread, as he thought that of course, of course, this one time that he actually really needed Tobias - of course Tobias wouldn't be there... but feeling that glimmer of hope in his heart that told him he was only joking, that he'd laugh with him about that feeling over drinks the next day. The darkness, the emptiness, in his heart when that glimmer had faded, when he realized that Tobias really wasn't there. The dismissive humor he'd felt moments before faded away. How dare he. How dare he even consider turning back now. That gambler, that fool, that bastard, who'd played with all their lives, even his friend's, even his brother-in-crime, for a bit of extra coin - and had the gall to name himself Twisted Fucking Fate like a goddamn taunt for all the world to hear after he got away with it, mysteriously and by himself. This wasn't even for vengeance, in a way. Oh, sure, he was angry, he was going to kill that man, and he was going to enjoy it. But it wasn't just for his sake. Really, he just couldn't stand that someone like Twisted Fate even lived. Someone that would turn on you, and make a mockery out of it, while you rotted nameless in a Zaunite prison cell.

He pinched out both of the candles on the nightstand. The moon illuminated the room well without them, but at least this set a darker, brooding mood to sleep in. It gnawed at him. The lack of hesitation. The nonchalance. "Nah." How could he discard it? How could he turn it away? After years of swearing to take every opportunity that could lead to revenge, even - especially - if it meant the end of him, why would he turn away from the clearest path?

Maybe Tobias would change, when he was staring down Destiny's barrels. Maybe he'd beg. Maybe he'd confess. He'd thought about all that before. But tonight it gnawed at him. It wasn't right. It wasn't likely. He'd never back down. Not unless he thought he was right. Not unless he really thought he stood a chance of changing Graves' mind. Then, maybe. And what then? Would Graves listen?

Maybe. Maybe he would. If nothing else, it'd make for a good laugh.

Kalista wouldn't listen. And that wasn't right. Graves wanted to hear it. He wanted to know what Tobias would do at the end. Maybe that was what he wanted even more than vengeance - to put that man at gunpoint, and see what happens, when he realizes that he didn't get away with his betrayal after all. And then he'd make his decision. Right then, right there.

And when he decided, he wouldn't need Kalista.


End file.
